“I’m not. I’m a mess.”
“You’re perfect for me, Calliope. I love you. I’m in love with you. I think I was from the first time I found you trying to spy on me from the woods in the middle of a snowstorm in a bright pink parka.”
Now the tears spill out of her eyes and down her cheeks as she stares at me with an intensity I’ve never seen before. I swipe the wetness from her face before pulling her arms up so she can wrap them around my neck. She moves her body so she’s straddling me on the couch.
This feeling of her in my arms. I thought I’d never feel it again. And maybe this is the last time. I don’t know. But telling her the truth about how I feel? I might not get right from wrong like the average person, but this is the right thing to do.
“You don’t have to say anything back. But I wanted to tell you all of this before the rest of today unfolds. After tonight, things might be different. You might feel differently about me.”
She nods and presses her lips together.
“But to make it absolutely clear: I love you. I’m in love with you. I want you in my life in whatever way I can have you. In an ideal world, you move into my cabin immediately, and we take care of Honey Bunny and Sir Fluffy—I think they could be friends, maybe, but I’m a little nervous your giant rabbit will eat my cat—and bake pies and drink hot chocolate. You can get a job in Lake Savage. Or Portland. Orwhatever you want to do. We can turn the guest room into your book page art space. I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing and we’ll live happily ever fucking after.”
“Oh my god, Wes.” Another tear escapes from the corner of her eye. “I can’t believe?—”
Both of us turn toward a loud shout coming from down the hallway inside the room where Shane is. My eyes dart to the kitchen counter where the pies are. I expect to see Noah, two pies, a stack of plates, and maybe even a few slices of apple pie served.
What I see is close to that, but not quite right.
No Noah. No mince pie.
“Shit.” I drop my hands from Callie’s face and lift her off my lap. I stand and stride to the kitchen counter.
“What? Wes?” Callie’s behind me in an instant, not understanding what I just realized.
“He gave him mince pie.”
Chapter 44
A Big Decision
CALLIE
We dart into the murder room, and my brain scans the space to understand what’s happening. I flinch as the smell of the room hits me, which I soon realize is Shane’s vomit. He’s still handcuffed to the chair in front of me, looking like he’s having way less fun than the last timeIwas tied up.
I gag and cover my mouth and nose.
“Callie, thank god,” Shane says, hair around his face sweaty. He looks like shit. Wes swears softly beside me.
“Did you give him the mince pie?” Wes asks Noah, like he’s speaking to a child who did something a bit naughty.
“He deserves to die.” Noah answers Wes’s question, but looks at me, almost apologetically. “I know originally I was for letting you decide, but that was before I had all the information. I couldn’t let you choose to release him without consequence.”
“Callie,” Shane begs, but his voice is weak.
“Oh,” I say, glancing between Shane and Noah.
“For fuck’s sake, Noah,” Wes growls.
“I’m not sorry. This is the right thing to do for so many reasons.”
I scan Shane from head to toe. He’s… definitely not doing great. I search my soul for how I really feel about that. Do I want him to die because of everything he’s done? Or do I want to forgive him and move on with my life with a clear conscious? And if it’s the first one, what does that say about me as a human being?
“Cals. Please. After all we’ve been through.”
I let his words sink in. This is a man I once loved, or at least thought I did. I married him. I felt deep empathy for Shane over the death of his father, as it reminded me of my grief for my mother. I touch my mom’s emerald ring and spin it on my finger. Shane and I were a team at the beginning, however briefly.
I search and search. But I feel nothing positive for Shane anymore. There’s not a shred of empathy or sympathy inside me. Does that mean something’s wrong with me? Shouldn’t I care? Even if I don’t love him anymore, I should feel something, right?
